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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  6. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. pound — a weight
  4. track — a path
  5. track — to keep track
  6. roll — a cake
  7. rock — a stone
  8. toast — bread
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. degree — temperature
  11. toast — a drink to someone
  12. degree — an amount
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. rock — music
  17. board — to get on
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. track — a song
  20. board — a committee
  21. degree — from a university
  22. bass — low music
  23. rock — to move gently
  24. roll — a list

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com